It’s been some time since the Oilers fan base could talk about a strong showing by the team’s starting goalie. In fact, the save percentage at five-on-five (the purest form of the art) over many years has betrayed some talented young teams.
THE ATHLETIC!
- Lowetide: What we’ve learned about the Oilers in the NHL season’s first week
- Lowetide: How can Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft solve the team’s early issues?
- Lowetide: Why the Edmonton Oilers’ AHL team is set up for 2023-24 success
- DNB: Several Oilers defensive issues remain despite Mattias Ekholm’s return
- Lowetide: How the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor Brown contract could impact roster decisions
- DNB: Stanley Cup-aspiring Oilers have a long way to go after ‘big gut punch’ in season opener
- Lowetide: Why the Oilers’ opening-night roster is short two foundational pieces
- DNB: Why Raphael Lavoie didn’t make the Oilers and other roster questions ahead of regular-season opener
- Lowetide: Oilers’ Brady Stonehouse signing an important indicator for the future
- Lowetide: Why the Oilers’ veteran-laden AHL team offers better depth
WHAT TO EXPECT IN OCTOBER
- On the road to: VAN (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-1-0)
- At home to: VAN (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-1-0)
- On the road to: NAS, PHIL (Expected 2-0-0) (Actual 1-0-0)
- At home to: WPG (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- On the road to: MIN (Expected 0-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- At home to: NYR, CAL (Expected 1-1-0) (Actual 0-0-0)
- Overall expected result: 6-2-0, 12 points in 8 games
- Actual October results: 1-2-0, 2 points in 3 games
- Oilers in 2023-24: 1-2-0, 2 points in 3 games
FIVE-ON-FIVE SAVE PERCENTAGE BY YEAR DURING MCDAVID ERA
- 2015-16: .914 (No. 29)
- 2016-17: .927 (No. 7)
- 2017-18: .918 (No. 23)
- 2018-19: .915 (No. 26)
- 2019-20: .912 (No. 25)
- 2020-21: .916 (No. 19)
- 2021-22: .916 (No. 19)
- 2022-23: .914 (No. 15)
- 2023-24: .882 (No. 28)
I think the Oilers have to be safely inside the top-10 overall in order to be real Stanley Cup contenders. I suspect Ken Holland will make a trade if the Jack Campbell-Stuart Skinner duo can’t get the job done.
THE 2019 DRAFT
Oilers fans grind themselves into a fine white powder over the team’s draft picks. Makes sense, since the draft was the club’s Stanley Cup for about 15 years beginning in 2007. Corey Pronman at The Athletic is doing a redraft of recent years. The 2019 draft dropped today. Philip Broberg and Raphael Lavoie have retained their value well.
TONIGHT’S LINEUP
Coaches typically keep the same lineup after a win, but Vincent Desharnais is made for the Philadelphia Freedom, a place where intimidation counts double and double again. My guess is Adam Erne would come out of the lineup if Woodcroft runs with seven blue. So far this season, Philip Broberg has played in all three games and is averaging 14:29 per game. That’s a two minute leap year over year and he’s over 50 percent in expected goals so far in the campaign. If nothing else, his trade value at the deadline will increase if he can hold around 15 minutes a game with good underlying numbers.
It’s Thursday so the show is busy, Sports 1440 noon to 2pm. John Shipley from Jaguar Report previews TNF, Charlie O’Connor from Philly Sports helps preview the Flyers side of tonight’s NHL game. Bagged Milk from Oilers Nation will give us the latest from the Oilers side. We’re at Sports 1440, noon to 2 today. You can reach me in the comments section, @Lowetide on twitter, or text us 1.833.401.1440 directly.
If after 10 games Woody doesn’t turn this lacklustre bunch around Holland needs to fire him and get a Coach that can dead cat bounce this bunch. The game last night was like watching paint dry it’s inexcusable to be this bad every 2nd game.
Day makes the highlight reel with the OHL Save of the Night.
Bouchard on the 4th GA coasted back through the slot trying to catch the man he gifted a breakaway. Ekholm can only do so much. As much as I enjoy watching the offensive part of his game (which is absent thus far), his lack of giveashit is very disappointing.
Can’t fault the goaler on anything though you’d like him to have the SHG against. I don’t know if 97 is ill or is just frustrated, but he sure looked off tonight. Glad the coach kept the ice time low in a game where nothing rhymed in any facet.
They’re still going to win the division despite the hot garbage start.
They are already 8 points behind Vegas they are not winning the division.
Vegas has had zero hangover the coach has that team dialed in for a repeat.
Watched the game on delay. So much to say, but for me? It comes down to effort. The boys are simply not putting in enough. Far too often they are being outworked, outmuscled and out-passioned.
The Oilers aren’t winning anything with this defence & the 3 & 4th lines.
IMO the Oilers 3rd line would be a great 4th line.
this needs to be fixed soon.
The third line was their best line last night. The fourth was their second best line. This despite getting the lions share of defensive zone faceoffs.
It was the top-6 and the defensive corps that were the problem last night IMO.
Taylor Hall still tries to single-handedly take the puck through the most difficult path to the net every single rush. Kinda gotta admire the stubbornness.
I’ve been oddly stressed and busy recently, and I’ve had a hard time working up the time or energy to really invest in sports much as this autumn’s rolled around. Mercifully, the Oil and Jays have been giving me a lot of room to breathe.
I couldn’t have imagined a piss-pot of a start like this if you’d asked me to guess at any point between the end of the Vegas series to a week and a half ago. I don’t know what constructive commentary to give. This team shouldn’t be such ass, but it’s definitely looking like a lame mule to me.
You might think the Oil have been bad in half their games but actually it’s been two turds.
[slow clap]
A tip o’ the hat.
They’re not scoring goals either…
Even with the dogshit defending they should be 3-1 and are 1-3.
The problem is 200ft long.
I agree on the zone D it’s much of the problem. Like I said this morning, I’m not convinced they played fantastic against Nashville other than Drai (natch) and Campbell.
I think Woodcroft got in his own head a bit watching film of Vegas beating us. Why make us play like Vegas? We ain’t Vegas.
We lost to the last 2 Cup winners. We don’t have a perfect roster but it should mostly be about tinkering and hopefully internal growth at this point.
Its not the zone D. It’s the bad turnovers leading to rushes the other way.
That’s the majority of goals they have been giving up. Poor puck management.
there are some questions to ask:
Who signed Campbell?
Who signed Nurse?
Who signed Ceci?
Who signed E Kane?
It’s early days, I get it.
Oilers top guys need to cool it with the turnovers. Still trying shinny moves.
time to go back to man to man …..
They are really struggling in the zone defense with picking guys up entering the zone (they’re backing up too far) and where to go with the puck when they finally get possession.
Have not seen any progress in their first 5 games of the season. At all.
Man to man is not an unreasonable solution.
So now I wonder how Jackson is feeling. Hmmm
Vegas now 5-0-0
20GF 8GA +12
Going to be very hard to catch,
the Boyz showed up 2 weeks early for the sole purpose of getting off to a Good Start. This is worrisome to me ……
Canucks have laid a big turd.
They actually played a very good game.
Did you watch it?
We know you don’t watch any games. Too busy on message boards trying to get glory through association. lol
Who is WE?
Keep living your delusion my guy. 😛
If I had to choose one thing, I would suggest Oilers are so soft when they go to
pick up their man. It is always seems to be a half effort stick check. They will not get in the way way, won’t engage, wont hold the blue line, won’t box out.
The other teams own the front of our net. They get past our d untouched. Other teams do not play this way.
Why did Ekholm play so well when he first arrived? Then succumbed to the Oilers soft defensive system. What is going on here?
The more games he played the less effective he became as I saw it. As he did the Woody thing
This is a solid post.
Based on Merritt Broberg should come in and Bouchard should sit. Right now he is good for two goals against every game and he isn’t doing anything on the PP. McDavid was a dogs breakfast tonight also. He sucked all the momentum out of the PP.
Agreed! What else does this Merritt guy think they should do?
GO FULL SUTTER! McDavid centers the 4th line, no pp. Drai? 3rd left wing, 2nd pp. Adam Erne? TOP LINE LW!!!!
Soft, not a lot of compete. Just like the first game of the season against Tocchet’s Canucks.
Cowboy for years we’ve heard they like nice guys
I think they target players that lack drive. Assertiveness. They are a passive team. Quiet locker room. That’s not what works. Guerin brought in Reeves to juice his LR up because he thought they were passive and would have kept him if he had the cap
Not many Glory guys were saints
Its concerning the Foegele is the team’s best skater.
Huh?
Wut?
Congrats Woody, from boy genius to hottest coaching seat in the league.
Bouchard didn’t get his head out of his a$$ till December last year.
Maybe Bouchard could play wing?
Do the Oilers need a soft winger?
Did they have Nyquil for their pre-game meal?
I’m sure gathering ZERO points in the 3 losses won’t mean anything in a few months. /s
The Oilers missed home ice advantage last season by 3 points, but you’ll have people tell you, meh it’s early.
2 points,actually. A single blown game.
Holland was so happy to return his players
Completely unaware apparently that being friends and good in the room may not lead to winning
Checkers vs chess
So done
Can’t wait for the meaningless, emotionless post game comments from the coach.
Saturday is going to be a blood bath if there is another effort like that.
Un-calm your everythings.
This team has something seriously wrong with it.
You don’t come out of the gate this way and get anywhere.
Neither Woodcroft nor the Oilers are this bad. Something is very wrong.
The coaches dictate everything in pro sports
Well that was a poor game.
That was pathetic.
I feel sorry for Jack Campbell tonight.
The team in front of him quit on him.
Hard to quit when you never got started.
Shouldn’t flipped Bouchard, and Ceci via Montreal to San Jose for Karlsson.
You tell me
You have the two best forwards in the league and can’t figure out 5v5. Can’t defend like the vaunted Canucks and Flyers
It’s on the players right?
Players do what they’re told, or try to
Thank you Oilers, for sucking the joy out of a perfectly good evening.
It’s never easy with this team.
We can’t just enjoy a season where the Oilers win the games they should and coast into a playoff spot.
Nope. That’s not the Oilers way.
The Oilers are like Taylor Hall in an earlier Funny Bissonness post: they have to take the most difficult route to the net (playoffs), every rush (season)
Bouchard’s body language reminds me a lot of Justin Schultz right before he was sent out of town.
Schultz never became good even if was gifted a cup or whatever playing soft comp
Have to coach them up or deal. Get too expensive when they get points. I don’t see the coaching up as it stands. Bye Bouch
For the record I’d keep Bouch, find him a partner, and trade someone else
The skill is too valuable
They traded a drafted first, an undrafted first, an undrafted fourth & Tyson Barrie to bring him a first-rate partner. Who do you suggest if not Ekholm?
This team isn’t contending shit this year.
If Kane is playing like crap, and he has, why switch him up for Hyman? You’ve just moved the problem to the second line, which has been good. Put him on the third line.
Summarizing!
Day had another solid outing, turning aside 39 of 42 shots for his first win of the season as Flint prevailed 5-3. For his efforts, he was named 1st star.
Akey returned to the lineup and tallied his 2nd goal of the season with less than three minutes remaining before Flint scored an ENG.
The slowest right side of the defense in the NHL.
Mistakes are made every game. The fact Bouch stops skating is a huge red flag for me personally, even if he wouldn’t have saved the goal.
Perhaps I’m just frustrated with the game?
Rapidly downgrading expectations for this crew.
Playoffs? maybe
Love the way Bouchard stops and watchs Atkinson go in and score.
Four games in and the Oil D in midseason form.
Midseason , 2018! This is atrocious.
Nice wave, Evan.
Wuf, Bouchard again. Not sure his head is in the game.
Oilers, woof.
Is Bouchard even a real NHL player?
Absolute liability
How are the Flyers so opportunistic?
Or are the Oilers just flat?
Pancake flat.
Is it too early to get the torch ‘s and pitchforks out????
Apparently.
You’re not allowed to feel angst until you’re told.
American Thanksgiving, maybe you can start to feel apprehensive, but don’t you start getting worried until after the December swoon.
Nice gap, Evan. Don’t bother closing it and forcing the forward wider, and putting some pressure on the shot.
Acted like he was defending a 2 on 1.
Is this all part of their issues with transitioning to a zone defense? When you’re playing man to man, a d-man should know that he needs to close gaps and not give guys space. It just seems that they’re doing things out of character (compared to last season) and it’s creating issues in other places.
Is this a learning curve the coaches are willing to accept (and for how long)?
That’s not good . Campbell should have had that.
Bouchard has to find his $11 million dollars somewhere.
Bouchard won’t find his big pay day if he plays like that.